Engineer s brake-valve



No Modem 2..snetssheet 1. L. E. HOWARD.

ENGINEBRS BRAKE VALVE. ,No. 523,937. PatentedJuly 31, 1894..

To az'u 75 Train Pip ReSc'm/m' YNE Ncmms PETERS 60.. mm'oumc"WASHINGTON, u. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

L. E. HOWARD. ENGINEERS BRAKE VALVE.

Patented July 31 WITNESSES:

m: NONI-US PETERS co. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, n. c

UNIT D STATE-S IPATENT OFFICE.

LESLIE E. HOWARD, or WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

ENGINEERS BRAKE-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,937, dated July 31,1894. Application filed January 12, 1894. $eria1No.496,618. (NomodeLL Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE E. HOWAR a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Watertown, Jefferson county, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Engineers Brake-Valves,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to valves for automatically regulating. the flow offluid under pressure, from a main airreservoir or other source ofsupply, to a train or brake pipe, and its discharge into the atmospherefrom the train pipe to apply the brakes.

I have found in practice that when an opening of sufficient size is madein one end of a train of fiftyconnected cars, the pressure at the endnearest the opening will be about three pounds lower than at the otherend. If the opening is suddenly closed the pressure soon equalizes, thusraising the pressure in the end the opening isin, or front end, one andone-half pounds. This rise in pressure is sufficient to release thebrakes in the forward end of the train and causes great annoyance.

The object of my invention is to provide for a full opening of thedischarge valve until the desired reduction is obtained in the front endof the train pipe, and then the gradualclosing of the discharge valve toallow the pressure in the train pipe to equalize without increasing thepressure in the front end.

A further object of my invention is to prevent the waste of airoccasioned by the discharge valve remaining open longer than isnecessary to fully apply the brakes, and also to regulate the size ofthe opening controlled by the discharge valve according to length oftrain, or volume of train pipe, and preventing the emergency applicationof the brakes on very short trains.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section throughline a. w. of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan,or top view with cap or casing 27removed to more clearly show the arrangement of ports in rotary valveseat 19. Fig. 3 is a bottom or face view of rotary regulating orcontrolling valve 20. Fig. 4 is a top'view of the same valve 20. 1 Figs.5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show the'positions of the ports in rotary valve 20, inreference to the ports in its seat 19, in the various positionshereinafter described. 1

Similar figures and letters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the practice of my invention I provide a lower casing 1 with suitablepipe connections 2 and 3, preferably threaded at their lower ends toengage with union fittings on the main reservoir pipe, and the trainpipe respectively, but which may be arranged to attach to said pipes inany other convenient manner, and provided with a suitable stud S. orother convenient means for attaching. Casing 1 is also provided with twocylinders or chambers, 4 and 5 arranged one above the other in such amanner that the movable abutments 6 and 7- (which may be pistons withsuitable packings as shown, or flexible diaphragms) shall move freely inchambers 1 and 5 respectively, in such a manner that the stems 8 and 9of abutments 6 and 7 shall butt against each other in guide piece 10,when pressures are applied tending to move them toward each other.Abutment 6 moving freely in chamber 4 has connected to it a stem 8'onwhich is formed a valve 11, stem 8 being designed to move freely inguide piece 10, and in guide piece 10 is formed a valve seat '12 againstwhich valvell closes,

said valve 11 controlling the flow of airfrom chamber 4 through passage13 to. the atmosphere. Port F. controls 0. which is an air passageconnecting train pipe 3 with the rotary valve seat 19 at F. as shown bydotted lines. 0. has a branch A. connecting train pipe with chamber 4.underneath abutment 6. Movable abutment 7 is arranged to work freely inchamber or cylinder 5 in lower part, of easing l and carries on itsupper side a stem 9 working in guide piece 10 and arranged so thatpressure being applied on its under side will cause it to lift stem 8and abutment 6, thus allowing air to flow past discharge valve 11 to theatmosphere through passage 13. ment 7 is closed'tothe atmosphere bycap15, but is always in communication with reservoir 16 through suitablepipe and connections 17, the object of reservoir 16 being to provide alarger volume or spacethan could be conveniently formed in casing 1 orcap 15 thus allowing the pressure in chamber 14 to Chamber 14. on theunder side of-abutrise more gradually than if a smaller chamber orreservoir were used. Chamber 5 on upper side of abutment 7 is open tothe atmosphere through passage P. V

18 is an intermediate casing on the upper side of which is formed asuitable seat 19 for the rotary controlling or regulating valve 20.Chamber 21 forms an enlargement to the chamber above abutment 6. Aseparate reservoir might be used in some cases.

20 is a controlling or regulating valve working on seat 19 and isoperated by lever handle 22, actuating stem 23 carrying at its lower enda disk 24 with a taper key or tenon 25 on its under side, designed toengage with a taper recess or mortise 26 in top side of rotary valve 20.(See Fig. 4.) The arrangement of the portsin valve 20 is shown in Fig. 3which shows the under side of valve 20.

51 is a recess or cavity and in certain positions of valve 20, serves toconnect dififerent ports of valve seat 19. Port 43 passes directlythrough valve 20, and allows air under pressure to flow from upper sideof 20 directly into 0. through port F. of seat 19. Port 44 passesdirectly through valve 20 to its upper side, and is enlarged on theunder side of valve into a recess or cavity as shown. Port 38 alsopasses directly through valve 20 and allows air from above 20 to flowinto port 39 in a certain position to be described. Ports 45 and 46 areconnected by a duct or passage 50 and only open to the under side ofvalve 20.-

Port 52 opens-into duct 50 connecting thereby with 46, but when air isflowing through port 52, port 45 (also connected to 46 by duct 50 asshown) is not opposite any port of seat 19, and is consequently blanked.A plain slide valve is used in place of rotary valve 20 when preferred.

27 is an upper closed casing forming a suitable support and guide forstem 23, and provided with suitable packing 28 to prevent air leakingpaststem 23. Casing 27 is also provided with a passage 13. connecting bya similar passage through intermediate casing 18 with main reservoirconnection 2, (as shown by dotted lines) and by means of which mainreservoir pressure is constantly maintained in casing 27 above rotaryvalve 20, and its flow into train pipe controlled as hereinafterdescribed. Casing 27 is also provided with a quadrant or guide 29 withsuitable notches or stops 30, 31, 32, 33,and 34 (see Fig. 2) formedthereon, designed to engage with spring latch 35 of handle 22 thusdetermining the position of valve 20 on its seat 19, and controlling themovements of the several parts of the valve mechanism in a mannerpresently to be described.

Lower casing 1, intermediate casing 18 and upper casing or cap 27 arefirmlyheld together by suitable bolts and nuts as shown, gaskets 36 and37 being used to secure tight joints.

The operation of the valve is as follows: In

release position latch 35 of handle 22 is against quadrant stop 30. Fig.2 and center line of handle coincideswith line B. (see Figs. 2 and 5)and charging port 43 of valve 20 is directly opposite port'F., andallows the compressed air above 20 to flow through F. into 0.(connecting with train pipe connection 3) and through branch A into thechamber 4 underneath abutment 6. Also in this position cavity 51 ofrotary valve 20 connects port 48 (Fig. 2.) with port D. which opens tothe atmosphere through passage E. (as shown by the dotted lines) andallows the air under pressure in chamber 14 to escape through passage49, (shown by dotted lines)port 48, (controlling 49) cavity 51 and portD. to the atmosphere. This is the position for releasing the brakes, andin this position chamber 14 is emptied of air under pressure, chamber 21is charged with air at main reservoir pressure, and if handle 22 be leftlong enough in notch 30, the train pipe will be charged with air atpressure of main reservoir. position while running handle 22 is moveduntil latch 35 is against notch or stop 31, and center line of handle 22coincides with line K (Figs. 2 and 6) and the position of valve 20 onits seat is as shown in Fig. 6 and port 38 is directly opposite port 39and air. can only flow into train pipe from main reservoir by passingthrough ports 38 and 39, lifting valve 40 (which is loaded by spring 41and designed to maintain a determined excess pressure in main reservoirover the train pipe pressure) and passing through passage 42 into trainpipe. Ports 48 and D. are connected by cavity 51, the same as in releaseposition. Port 47 leading to chamber 21 is opposite cavity 45 whichconnects through duct with port 46 of rotary valve, and 46 is oppositeF., and allows the pressure in chamber 21 to equalize with that in G.and (through branch A) also with the pressure in chamber 4 underneathabutment 6, which is always connected to the train pipe. In lap positionspring latch 35 of handle 22 is against stop 32 (Fig. 2) and center lineof handle coincides with line L. (Figs. 2 and 7). In this position allports and passages are blanked and the several parts of the valvemechanism remain inactive, air at pressure of the train pipe beingtrapped in chamber 21. In service position, which is the position forapplying the brakes, spring latch 35 of handle 22 is against stop 33(see Fig. 2) and center' line of handle coincides with line N. Figs. 2and 8 and port 47 leading to chamber 21 is blanked, shutting off allcommunication to chamber21, and port 48 (connecting through passage 49with chamber 14 as shown by dotted lines) is opposite small port 52 ofrotary valve. Port 46 is opposite F., thus allowing air from the trainpipe to flow from 0. through port F., port 46, duct 50 and port 52through port 48 and passage 49 (as shown by the dotted lines) intochamber 14 causing movable abutment 7 to rise, lifting discharge valve11 Handle 22 is held in servand abutment 6. ice position until thepressure in chamber In the I will lift stem 8, abutment 6 and opensdischarge valve 11, and air will fiowfrom the train pipe through itsbranch A past valve 11, and through passage 13 to the atmosphere, andwill continue to flow until it has reduced sufficiently in pressure toallow the pressure trapped in chamber 21 to force down abutments 6 and 7against the combined pressures in chamber 14, and in chamber 4underneath abutment 6, thus closing dischargevalve 11. It is obviousthat moving handle to service position again,and allowing more air toflow into chamber 14, would cause a corresponding further reduction oftrain pipe pressure.

The graduation automatically of the opening of the discharge valve forshort or long trains is accomplished as follows: Air is only allowed toflow into chamber 14 very slowly, and for this purpose port 52 is madeof a certain size to accomplish this end. On long trains the pressure in14 (moving abutments 7 and 6 in such a manner as to open discharge valve11) will rise much faster than the train pipe pressure can reduce,allowing the abutments 7 and 6 to move full stroke and open dischargevalve 11 wide. On very short trains the pressurewill reduce in the trainpipe much more rapidly because the volume of the train pipe is smaller,and this rapid reduction prevents the discharge valve 11 from openingfull stroke. In emergency position handle 22 is moved until latch 35 isagainst stop 34 (Fig. 2) and center line of handle coincides with line Y(Figs. 2 and 9). In this position port F. (controlling passage C.) andport D. (connecting directly with the atmosphere through passage E. asshown by the dotted lines) are connected by the cavity 51 in rotaryvalve 20, and allow a large quantity of air to suddenly escape from thetrain pipe to the atmosphere. This action is necessary to secure theemergency action in the generally recognized forms of quick actiontriple valves and secures a sudden reduction in the train pipe pressureof fifteen or twenty pounds, as may be desired.

I am aware that George Westinghouse and Frank Moore in their LettersPatent N 0. 401,916, dated April 23,1889, claim a combination of amovable abutment fitted to work in a chamber, and connected to adischarge valve controlling exhaust of air from the train pipe, andoperated by reducing the pressure of a supplemental reservoir connectedto one side of the abutment, said abutment having the train pipepressure on its other side. In their device the desired action issecured by reducing the pressure on the side of the abutment opposite tothe side exposed to train pipe pressure. In the device herein describedany such reduction of the pressure in chamber 21 would be fatal to theaction desired, and the pressure in 21 must be maintained at its initialpressure (at beginning of the application) or the discharge valve cannotclose. Also their device when left long enough in service positionto'empty the supplemental reservoir of air under pressure, will allowall the air to escape from the train pipe to the atmosphere; while in mydevice if handle 22 is left in service position air willfiow from trainpipe into chamber 14 (as already described) and train pipe pressurewillreduce until a point is reached where the combined pressures in chamber4 underneath abutment 6, and in chamber 14, are less than the pressuretrapped in chamber 21, and the pressure in 21 will close discharge valveby moving abutments 6 and 7 as before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire-to secure by LettersPatent is 1. In an engineers brake valve the combination of a dischargevalve from the train pipe, connected to a movable abutment exposed onone side to train pipe pressure and on'the other side to pressure from asupplemental reservoira second movable abutment exposed on one side toatmospheric pressure and on the other side to pressure-from ascoondsupplemental reservoir, and a stem leading from the second movableabutment to the stem of the exhaust valve from train pipe, and a valvewith suitable ports for varying the pressure in second supplementalreservoir, and also controlling an equalizing port between the chamberson the opposite sides of the first movable abutment, and controllingadirect supply port, a feeding port, and an exhaust port, substantiallyasset forth and described. I

2. In an engineers brake valve containing an exhaust valve actuated byamovable abutment in a direction to close said valve, the combinationwith the exhaust valve of a second movable abutment operated by fluidpressure for the purpose of opening said exhaust valve, and suitableports and passages in the main brake valve to admit or discharge airfrom the chamber containing the second movable abutment in order toactuate said abutment, substantially as set forth and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of J anuary, 1894.

' LESLIE E. HOWARD; Witnesses:

A. P. MASSEY, M. J. Momma.-

